Comparison to WIRED 3

A lot of the features of WIRED 3 [7] have been augmented in WIRED 4. Below a comprehensive list of the main differences:

  • WIRED 4 runs as a plugin in JAS 3 as opposed to WIRED 3 which runs as a stand-alone program. This has the advantage that a lot of the base functionality of JAS 3, most of which is part of the FreeHEP libary, comes for free. Such features include: output to graphics formats, copy-and-paste, setting of preferences, services and plugin modules, automatic updates of modules, etc.
    Integration in JAS 3 also means that some functionality sits deeper in JAS than in WIRED. For instance, access to data is arranged using a standard record loop, datasets can be opened using wizards, etc.
  • The interactivity modes of WIRED 4 give better feedback and are more useful to the user than the ones in WIRED 3. All the interactivity modes of WIRED 3, direct zoom, direct translation and direct rotation are all available in WIRED 4. On top of these modes, you can now select a region and zoom into that region. You can also easily select regions along a track and zoom into those.
  • The picking mode of WIRED 4 shows information in an easier way than WIRED 3. The latter would pop up boxes all over the screen, while WIRED 4 places information neatly in a control panel on the side. The interaction in WIRED 4 works both ways. You pick in the view and it shows in the control panel, or you select in the control panel and it highlights in the view. WIRED 3 does not have this capability.
  • WIRED 4 is extensible: new projections, representations and scripts can be created and added to WIRED 4. These features and how to write your own extension modules will be documented in the JAS 3/WIRED 4 developers manual, which is currently being written.
  • WIRED 4 uses HepRep 2 as its base format but can handle HepRep 1 using a converter plugin.
  • WIRED 4 contains far fewer classes than WIRED 3. This makes WIRED 4 more maintainable, which reflects in a a quicker response to user requests and bug fixes.

There are a few features not included in this first release of WIRED 4:

  • The tree only shows HepRepTypes and not HepRepInstances.
  • Cuts as implemented in the latest version of WIRED 3 are not yet available.
  • There is no way to show labels in this version.
  • The state of the application is only partially saved.

But, we are working on it...